Turner to retire; BOE discusses Medical Academy project

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The search is about to begin for a new Vantage Career Center superintendent.

Thursday night, the Vantage Board of Education accepted the resignation of Superintendent Rick Turner, who plans to retire at the end of his current contract, July 31, 2027. The board also voted to approve a contract with Celina-based Grand Lake Regional Educational Service Center to aid in the search for Turner’s replacement. The contract calls for a flat fee payment of $5,000 at the conclusion of the search process.

Turner’s ties to Vantage go back to the late 1970s. He graduated in 1979 from the school’s machine tool technology program. He was hired as Vantage superintendent in 2017. Prior to that, he spent a number of years at Apollo Career Center and worked as director of adult programs for more than 11 years at the Lima area vocational school before his appointment at Vantage.

Shortly after calling Thursday’s meeting to order, the board went into executive session with Grand Lake Regional ESC Superintendent Shelly Vaughn and Western Buckeye ESC Superintendent Missy McClurg to discuss the pending superintendent vacancy. The closed door session lasted over an hour.

The Vantage Academy of Medical Careers was a topic of discussion and the tone turned to dissatisfaction with the pace of work and general contractor Alexander & Bebout as the project winds down. The academy is in the former Thomas Edison building across the street from the main campus.

“Contractors need to complete final punch-list items for the academy,” Turner told the board. “Exterior landscaping is still pending and given the time of year, some final work may be deferred until spring.”

Turner said he believes the project could be completed with five good days by the workers.

“The thing that saddens me about this it’s an absolutely beautiful place – it’s going to be a wonderful training facility, we’ve just got to get over the hump,” he said.

Renovations were scheduled to be complete by August 1, in time for the new school year. However, it was pushed back to September 29, but is still not complete. The board also voiced unhappiness at the September meeting (see story here).

Board member Pat Baumle (Wayne Trace) shared a rather blunt thought during the discussion.

“I think they’ve endangered their business with the 13 local schools,” Baumle stated. “We’re not satisified and this isn’t just a one school thing because Vantage has a community of all the surrounding areas.”

Later in the meeting, the board authorized Turner to seek an alternative plan if the project isn’t finished in a timely manner.

“It means we can give them a letter of 10-day notice and their bond agent to finish the project or we’ll have someone else complete it,” Turner explained. “The architects (Munger Munger + Associates Architects) feel we need this tool to get their attention. We hope it won’t come to that.”

Turner also said there was a contenious meeting between the architects and Alexander * Bebout earlier this week over delays in finishing the project.

In a somewhat related move, the board approved a per diem rate for three employees for the move to the Vantage Academy of Medical Careers, plus an equipment purchase list for the academy.

In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of adult education testing proctor Lori Allen. Brent Forsthoefel, Matthew Fourman, Dylan Kolb, Alexander LeVeck and Austin McIntosh were approved on an as-needed basis as adult education public safety instructors. Dillon Staas was approved as a police academy instructor on an as-needed basis, along with Luke Sellers, work-based learning.

In other business, the board:

• Approved routine financial matters.
• Accepted the donation of a 1990 International Fire Truck from the Village of Convoy.
• Approved out-of-state field trips to the Fort Wayne Farm Show and the Fort Wayne Home and Garden Show.
• Approved overnight travel for Career-Technical Supervisor Cyndi Brill, cosmotology instructor Susie Smith and 15 students to attend the SkillsUSA State Fall Leadership Conference in Columbus.
• Approved overnight and out-of-state travel for High School Director Ben Winans to attend the ACTE National Policy Seminar in Arlington, Virginia.

Board members went into executive session at the conclusion of the meeting to discuss confidential business information of an applicant for economic development assistance.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 3, in the district board meeting. Prior to that, board members will begin a tour of the Medical Academy at 5:15 p.m. After the meeting, the board will enjoy its annual holiday dinner at the Cup & Saucer.